Oyster-dredge.



T. B. WEBSTER.

y OYSTER DBEDGB. APFLIOATION FILED' 239.19. 1909.

Patented July 27, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

mam/929 A o `all 'whom it may concern.' it known that I, THOMAS B. l/VEs'rnR, izen of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements "in Oyster-lrcdges, of which thefollowing is a" specification. f u

This invention relates to oyster dredges. Such dredges as now inuse in" the artconsist `of `a framehaving a transverse blade armed with teeth. In the rear of the blade isa chain bag secured to the frame, with its mouth distended. The dredge isadapted `to be drawn over the bottom, the teeth extending down to vengage the oysters and tear them from therocks or `other bottom formation to which they `are attached.4 The bag is placed to catchv the oysters as they are re` movedand serves tohold them and all other `solid material which is turned up by the teeth.` "ln the dredges as now built, the teeth are made of wrought iron and each tooth is supplied with a pin which is integral there with and generally at right angles to the' length of the tooth. `The blade` is provided with an aperture to receive the pin of each tooth and the teeth are 'secured in place by heating them to a high temperature, passing each pin through thekcorresponding hole in the blade, and heading it over. The operation of niouiitingthe teeth on the blade is i one that must be performed by a blacksmith at a considerable expense', andas `the teeth y of `a dredge are subject to such Wear that i W'theymust be replaced afterl each trip, the blacksmith work on the dredges is a very y i considerable item of expense in harvesting oysters.. Another defect of the dredges in use is that the chain bags which'hold the :oysters are allowed to drag on the bottom with their load, and as the oyster beds are very rough and covered rwith jagged stones, the" life of the `bags is always short7 and they 1 [frequently break when loaded and cause a y loss"`of the oysters which havev already been gathered.I With the dredges now used, it is an incident of each haull that when the bag becomes partlyloaded, the teeth are pushedi" into themud or shells, so that while oysters in the bottom of the bag are clean, those later dredged are mixed with a largeproportion of mud and stones or shells.`

It also frequently happens that in throwing .p iedredge overboard, the chain bag becomes aught on the teeth and its capacity thus reuced soKt-hatat the end of the haul it is Specification of Letters Patent.

i vided Witha shank, shown as flattened, to en* vbe made exceedingly cumbersoin 1 ,N A inviTnn sTATns n PATENT onirica.

Patented July 1909.` i

Application filed February 1S, 1909. Serial-No. 478,717.

found that very few of the oysters which have been displaced from the bottom are in the bag, therest having been wasted. y

K To overcome the first dilliculty and reduce the cost of blaeksmithing, l have provided a tooth which may be easily removedand secured in place by the` oystermenwithout the service of a blacksmith.4 This tooth is pro- 55 gage a face of the blade, and slotted longi Vtudinally .or diagonally to receive a bolt which `passes through the blade and shouldered transversely to engage one and preferably both edges of the blade to prevent side motion. The blade is apertured to receive the boltof each tooth and the length of the slots in the tooth Shanks inakes accurate placing of thel bolt holes in the blade and finishing of the blade unnecessary.` To proteot the bag and overcome the other diili-` `culties referred* to, lhave provided a thin plate which is secured to the blade and eX- ten'ds to the rear beneath the bag to maintain it out of Contact with -the bottom. This plate not only protects the bag, but it'serves as a guard to prevent the teeth and blade from being sunk into thebottfnn,` so 'asY to scrape up mud and shells, and reduces the strain on the bag so that economy may be eX- ercised in using lighter chains and hooks to form the The plate prevents the bag from swinging down and forward against the teeth, so that fouling of the bag on the teeth is obviated. The applicauts plate is also of use in dumping the oysters. The dredge is drawn up over a roller on the side `of the boat and moved forward until the rear of the plate' rests on the roller and the nose of the dredge on the deck. ln this position, the plate is tilted forward and the oysters' may be easily removed. In order to conform to diiferent conditions of bottom, the plate may be hinged and made rudjustable.` l

The applicant is aware -that numbers of* dredges have been producedfand pat in which a rigid cage is substitut :E bag. Such cages have never come mon use by the oystermen because in order to support `the; he v` lh die l rings. It is to the support and protection of this bag that the applicants plate 1s intended toy e applied.

An oyster dredge to which my invention has been applied is illustrated in the ac-Y companying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dredge; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section through the blade, plate and bag, showing a tooth in elevation; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a tooth detached; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of another modification of my device; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the tooth used therewith; Fig. 6 is an elevation of a slightly different tooth; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of another type of tooth; Fig. 8 is an elevation of the same; Fig. 9 shows details of the plate adjusting means,Y grouped to indicate their co'perative relation.

Referring to the drawings, the dredge consists of a suitable frame 1 having a transverse bar or blade 2 on which are mounted the depending teeth 3 and to which the plate 4 is secured. As shown, an angle iron 5 on the rear of the blade carries hinges 6, also attached to the plate, so the latter swings in a vertical plane. The bag 7 shown as resting on the plate, is attached at its mouth to the frame, the lower edge of the mouth of the bag being shown in Fig. 2 as engaging a rod 8 which extends across the dredge just above the blade 2. If the plate be hinged, some means must be provided to hold it in adjusted position. The preferred means is shown in the form of bows or bands 9. One end of each band is shown as secured to the plate near its rear portion,VV and from this point the bands extend back and up over the bag. The upper extremities of the bands are adjustably secured to the frame, preferably in the manner to be described. yThe transverse rod 10 to which the upper edge of the bag is attached is provided with slotted lugs 11, pierced with a series of holes 12. The end of each band 9 is turned up vertically at 13 and the member 13 passed through the slot 14. The member 13 is pierced at 15 to admit the pin r16 passedY through a hole 12. In this way the plate is made adjustable by moving the end 13 .of the bands in the slots and pinning them. This allows the position of the plate to be changed to suit different conditions of dredglng.

Having reference4 to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that the blade 2 is shown as rectangularand the Shanks of the teeth are attenedat 17 and shouldered transverselyV th eth Yproper on their rear sides at tshank of each tooth is slotted d theblade isapertured corresponding to eachv ters Patent is shoulder 18 is pressed against the lower face 22 of the blade. A bolt 24 is passed through the slot of the tooth and throughthe corresponding hole 20, and the nut 26 is tight-s ened on the bolt, holding the tooth in place j with'the shoulder 18 in close contact with the lower surface 22 of the blade. It will benoted thatA the length of the slot 19 provides for the positioning of the tooth withl its shoulder in contact with the blade and makes it unnecessary to finish the blade or remove irregularities from its surface in order to securea rigid setting of the teeth.

holes to correspond Vto and register .with y those of the blade, is placed against the rear surface of the latter and the bolts 24 which have been described as holding the teeth, are passed through the plate and flange and the nuts 26 are screwed onto the bolts in the rear of the flange. In this way, a single set of bolts is made to hold both the teeth rand the plates to the blade. In Figs. 4 and 5,'I have shown the shank 29 with the slot`3() therein extending above the blade. This projecting portion of the Vshank forms an eye 31 to which the lower portion of the mouth of the bag may be secured. Fig. 6

shows a tooth shank slotted diagonally 'and providedwith a lug 33 apertured at 34 tov gaging the lower edge 22 of the blade, a

shoulder 36 engaging the upper edge of the The shanks'of the teeth of.

lio`

blade. The bolt is shown as passed through the tooth and plate and angle iron, but, of

course the teeth described may be used without the protecting plate and angle iron. j

The operation of my device will be appar-r ent from the foregoing description ofjits construction and the statement of its function. In yconnection with this description, I would have it understood thatwhile I set forth numerous minor details., ofthe dredge to which my device has been'A applied, IY do 1Biot desire to limit myself tofthese details, What I claim and'desir tojsecurerby Let-V 1.- In `an oyster dredge having a tooth blade, atooth to be removably and rigidly securedto the blade, the tooth having a flattened shank; and tWo transverse shoulders i .on the shank to engage the blade from above and below the shank between the shoulders being slotted to receive a bolt. p 2.In an oyster dredge having a tooth blade, altoothto beremovably and rigidly secured to the blade, the tooth having a iiattened shank shouldered transversely to engage the blade on tvvo oppositeedges, the "shank between the shoulders being slotted to receive a bolt, the upper end of the shank having an eye to be engaged by the bag.

Si In .Han oyster dredge, a frame having teetlrand1 a bag, the mouth of the bag securedto the frame, the bag otherwise hanging free and extending to the rear, a plate pivotally mountedon the frame and extending to the rear beneath the bag, and means for seeuring the plate in adjusted position. 1 4.'In an oyster dredge, a frame including a transverse blade and teeth, the latter se cured to the blade, a iexible bag, the mouth of which is secured to the frame in distended position, a plate which normally rests on the bottom extending to the rear of the blade to support they bag, and a band secured to the rear ofthe plate extending upward and inclosing the rear of the bag.

5. In an oyster dred ge, a frame including 6. In an oyster dredge, a frame havinga` support for teeth, a tooth having a flattened shank shouldered transversely to engage the edge of the support, the shank slotted beyond the shoulder, and, at its extremity, provided With an eye to which a dredge bag may be fastened.

` 7. In an oyster dredge, a frame having a support for teeth, a tooth having a iiattened shank shouldered transversely to eni gage the edge of the support, the shank slotted beyond the shoulder, the shank, at its extremity, provided with an eye to Which the dredge bag may be fastened, anda bolt passing through the slot to secure the tooth" to the support. i

Signed by me at Baltimore, Maryland, `this 15th day of February, 1909.

THOMAS B. l/VEBSTER. "Witnesses:

EDWARD L. Basri,

' S. RALPH WARNKEN. 

